IT
by Fizzy 13
Summary: All hell breaks loose on the Nirvana when the crew discover a pod from Earth containing nothing but a totally mutilated corpse and an empty canister reading: WARNING! BIOHAZARD! Pls. R&R!!!
1. The Dream

AN: This is my first shot at a one shot Vandread horror… well, maybe not one shot, but multi-chapter Vandread horror. I was inspired by another old monster movie I saw on Cinemax, and decided to give it a shot, thinking, _Hey, how's about putting a monster fic in Vandread? _Dogma has already been notified and is working on his version of the story. I don't exactly know if there are any Vandread horrors here. Are there? Ah, what the hell. Just read it, and tell me what you think! Please review!!! I don't think that 'Of Mechs and of Dreads' is exactly going to be updated any time soon, since Dogma is having problems with his diskette where the next four chapters were saved, so I'll have done this just to kill my time. I also have to mention that there is some… F/F although not that noticeable in this chapter. I wonder how you're going to react to my Original Character? This is Fizzy 13, saying hi. Oh, and Book-Master, if you're reading this, then I hope you like it as well as my other fics! Enjoy! Oh, one more thing: Consider reading DJ Madcat's War of the Titans too. My poor cousin needs a lot of good reviews and ideas to go with it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread, yadda yadda yadda, GONZO owns it, yadda yadda yadda. So what else is new? 

IT 

The Dream

The three figures dashed down one of the now poorly lighten hallways of the Nirvana, chased by a surprisingly swift moving mass of gray, semi-liquid tentacles with the mobility and movement style of a spider. Meia let out two laser shots at the thing, stopping it shortly, putting more space in between them. 

"Lasers won't do anything against it!" shouted the person in the lead. He was a Spanish-descended man with shoulder-length dark brown hair, who wore military issue fatigues and branded square-framed sunglasses. He was also carrying a fully loaded 9mm Berretta, what was left of his originally impressive arsenal when he boarded the ship.

            "You should've told us that earlier!" Misty retorted at him. There wasn't much they could do, but follow the man, and get as far away from this thing as possible. He didn't tell anybody onboard Nirvana much about himself. Like anybody cared at all. He was just doing his job—strictly business. They were all probably dead by now too.

            The trio reached a half-closed blast door marking the border between sector 12 and sector 13. "Hurry! It's coming!" he shouted at the two blue haired girls as they passed between the heavy steel doors. As Meia got through, he slammed his palm at the control panel, the gateway shutting tight just as the creature caught up to them.

            The mercury-like beast collided head on (If it had one) with the meter-thick barrier and let out a demonic ear-piercing cry of frustration. "That's not going to stop it for too long either." He could already see some of the dull gray slime slipping through the thin spaces of the seal. "GO! GO! GO!"

            A moment too late—a viscous tendril had already snagged Meia's left leg and pulled her down. She landed on her rump with a loud thud. "Go on ahead, there's nothing more you can do. If what Lorenzo says is true, then I'm done for."

            "No!" Misty protested at the dread team leader, "There has to be a way!" she stared at the cinnamon-haired Bounty Hunter with a desperate searching look in her crimson eyes, hoping against hope that she was dead wrong. He looked back at her for a moment; his sight concealed behind the tint of his shades, and shook his head ruefully.

            Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried continuously, but failed, to deny the truth. Meia Gisborn was a goner; the same Meia Gisborn who succeeded in defeating the Earth's forces who tried to harvest them; the same Meia Gisborn who was more than a sister to her. Another truth also surfaced from deep within the recesses of her mind. She loved her. 

            "Oh, God!" She began to sob. The creature was already halfway through the underside, still holding Meia in its slimy grasp, sending several semi-fluid tendrils into her jumpsuit, preparing to consume her.

            Meia began to feel burning sensations where it was touching her. Then she remembered the conversation they had with Lorenzo… when everybody save Duero and a few others was still alive, _"What exactly is its nature?"_

_            "Do you really want to know?"_

_            "I want to know what we're up against." Meia replied stoically as she always did._

_            "Alright… imagine a living, breathing acid that super oxidizes any organic life form it comes across. It will crawl through the thinnest of cracks and tear through any protective clothing just to get a taste of us. It will literally dissolve you if it doesn't tear you apart first."_

_            "Super oxidizes?" Meia asked, curious of the phrase's meaning._

_            "It's a scientist's term for eradicates, exterminates, in laymen's terms: kills."_

            "God!" Parfet exclaimed, still very well down due to the doctor's death, "Who would create such a monstrous thing!?"

_            "The same people who sent me here to recollect it." Lorenzo replied coldly, "An Earth Corporation known as Aires Genetics, an organization that manipulated carbons to create various kinds of biological weapons to use in the harvest operation."_

_            "Why?" that question remained unanswered when the creature broke through the strategy room's door and engulfed Parfet who never saw it coming. That was when this ridiculous chase began._

            "Both of you! Get out of here now!" she shouted.

            "Not without you!" Misty replied through her tears.

            "I told you already! There's nothing you can do for me anymore, but to stay alive! Hurry!" The last thing she saw before she was completely engulfed by the liquid fire was Misty being literally dragged away by her arm by Lorenzo the Earthling Bounty Hunter…

            She rose abruptly from bed breathing heavily, beads of perspiration decorating her forehead. It was just a dream… a nightmare, really, but it was so real. Was it some sort of omen? She now concentrated her attention on what awoke her. The music box that her mother had given her was playing on the floor beside her bed. She was saved by the song, if not by the bell. She glanced at her clock, which stood on the end table next to her bed, 5:13 AM. It was time to get up anyway.

            Her com-link chirped. It was Barnette, "Meia here."

            "We have a situation here at the hangar. An unidentified pod just docked before anybody even noticed it. I think you might want to check this out."

            "Will do." She stood up and proceeded to her dresser, preparing for the day's activities… although she just didn't feel right about it right now.

To Be Continued…

AN: What do you think? I just wanted to write something unique here besides 'Bloodlust' by Kanako's Pet Demon. If you like it, then better!!! Just review! After all, what are reviews for? For the reader to speak his/her mind to the author about what the author, right? Then just do it!

"Don't die until you've mastered the art of surviving, sonny!"

--Leader of Vanguard Unit 101 (I Don't remember his name)

   Final Battle Against Earth


	2. Project IT

AN: Wow, you guys actually read my fic. Thanks a lot. Either that, or I just got tired of waiting. This is my second shot at IT, and more knowledge about IT will be let out in this chapter. I just couldn't hold it back any longer, you know. Especially when you imagine hearing the song of the first stage's closing credits—himegoto—to be exact, and you can't sleep until it drives you crazy!!! Yes, it's true. I've been besieged by my imagination that ruthlessly continues to pump the same damn song until I jump out of bed at 2:00 AM and turn my computer on! The even stranger thing is that when I'm finally at the keyboard, it stops and is replaced by the song from the opening credits of Saiyuki's first season! Oh, sorry if it looks like I copied the scene from Bad Company. I really liked it, so I couldn't help but do so. One more thing: I had to name some of the crewmembers, since basically, just a few names are actually mentioned. WARNING! Expect OOCness!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread. GONZO does. I don't own any VIPER-born concept either. I do own, however, IT's more original attributes. So what else is new?

Project IT

            A shot rang out from the muzzle of the silenced 9mm Berretta, the bullet hitting the man square between the eyes. He fell facedown on the soaking wet street floor of an alley on one of the minor cogs of the Earth's iron city. This hit man mission was too easy, eliminating a nameless drug lord for a million credits.

The slicker-clad Bounty Hunter returned his weapon to the holster conveniently placed inside his waterproof jacket. As he exited the alleyway and into the major street that was drenched in acid rain, two suspicious-looking men in black suits and sunglasses approached him. He eyed both of them: same height, same build, same hairdo, same facial expressions, same black umbrellas, same holstered .45 caliber pistols, same… everything.

            "Who are you?" he asked them, his heavy Spanish accent showing.

            "Mister Lorenzo Fernandez, I presume?" one of them asked.

            "Si, Senior." He answered in his mother language.

            "We're with the Global Security Agency." The other said as they both showed him their badges.

            "So what does the GSA want with a Bounty Hunter such as myself?" it was his turn to ask a question. Indeed, what did the GSA want with him?

            "We're representing Aires Genetics for the time being." They replied flatly.

            "Biological weapons, eh? Must be a very important hunt then. It's the most advanced corporation devoted to the harvest." He thought for a moment, "What kind of assignment is this exactly?"

            "Recollection/Capture. Area of operations, the entire Harvest Theater."

            "What!? You want me to scour every single star system on the harvest list!? To capture who?" he paused for a moment, "Or what?"

            "Calm down, mister Fernandez," the agent said, "Our intelligence would've narrowed the search down to a few hundred miles by the time you've received your dossiers."

            "In any case, what you'll be looking for are this man," one of the agents showed the picture of a man in his late forties, receded hairline, laboratory attire, average geek look, and thin-framed spectacles. "And this canister." He held up another picture of a sophisticated containment cylinder, silver in its color, with the large imprints 'WARNING: BIOHAZARD' printed on it.

            "A rogue scientist, and what; some sort of Top Secret Biochemical weapon? What about my former client?"

            "Mister Hendrickson has allowed us to be the medium of this." an agent showed him a suitcase, "Your last mission's pay is in this suitcase."

            "What about the pay for this mission?"

            "Give a number." Clearly, that was what to be expected, since either the cash was coming from Aires Gen, or the Government.

            "10 billion credits."

            "20 million." The other agent replied.

            "A hundred." He fought back.

            "The way we see it, mister Fernandez, with 20 million credits, you can experience early retirement, pay off all your debts to 35 insurance companies, give your family a good life, your children a good education, and get ten generation's worth of high-quality harvested parts."

            "The way I see it, is that either you give me a hundred million credits, or you find a better hunter on this fricking excuse for a planet, which is highly unlikely."

            The two agents remained silent… "Alright, then. A hundred million it is. Ten now, ninety later."

            "Ah, ah, ah. Fifty now, fifty later. My terms or I don't accept this mission." He said finally.

            "Agreed then. Two dossiers concerning your mission will be delivered to you at 5 PM today, one to your office, and the other to your home. Have a nice day." They handed him the briefcase, along with a check for fifty million credits, and left him standing there, in his slicker, as mysteriously as they came.

            _Oh, brother, another recollect/capture mission. How boring. _He thought as he proceeded to get to the warp link,_ To make it worse, it's a guy who can't even put up a good fight!_ What the Bounty Hunter didn't expect, however, was that knowledge of the risk in this operation was to be released upon him from the dossier that awaited.

***

            Meia stepped up to the chute that led to the docking bay, its door protected by a pair of spacesuit-clad guards, laser rifles crossed to prevent passage. They parted the weapons to allow the dread team leader to pass. "Where's Barnette?" she asked one of the guards.

            "In the docking bay with Celina, investigating the pod." She replied.

            _Celina?_ She thought for a moment, _Oh, yeah, a new member of the security team, _"Let me through."

            "Of course."

            Meia stepped into the turbo lift that brought her down to Docking level… almost instantly. As the door opened, she caught sight of a pod similar to the one they found Misty in, a scantily dressed woman with green hair, and some uniform-dressed red head. Both of their backs were turned to her. _Celina._

            "Barnette." The green haired woman almost jumped ten feet if that was humanly possible for somebody of that build.

            "Oh, God! Meia!" she retorted, "Don't scare me like that!" 

            "Sorry." She apologized coldly, "What's the situation?" she approached the pod and tapped a button on the side that caused the shutters to retract. What she saw was more repulsive than the worst-case scenario of any fight she had experienced back on Meger. It was literally a bloody mess. It was something that probably went with those rumors Tarakian's let out to their people. Women were liver-eating demons._ Yeah right._ Disembodied body organs lay scattered about; the whole person was gone save for his bloody lab coat, an ID card saying he was a researcher at from some Earth born corporation, a pancreas, two feet's length of large and small intestine, and a spine.

            "That's all we found, along with this." Barnette brought out a foot tall cylinder, with the Biohazard symbol conveniently pasted on it, and the words 'WARNING: BIOHAZARD' imprinted, with a sophisticated storage system attached. "This is some kind of containment device. Judging from the warning signs and writings, we can tell that whatever was inside is some sort of biochemical agent."

            "You don't have to be a genius to know that. The whole damn thing's riddled with admonitions." The red haired security agent said as she snatched the can from Orangello's grasp. "We've also picked up trace elements of Corrosiumide, a new kind of organic acid that's supposed to be containable only by some metal alloys." She glanced at the silver container, "And this is made out of one of them. It's craftsmanship is of the highest known quality. My guess is that the Earth made this, since the guy, whoever he was, was from Earth as what his ID states. So what do you want us to do with this, Meia?"

            "Shouldn't you be asking _me_ that question, Celina?" the trio turned to see a certain silver-haired vice-commander smiling expectantly.

            "Oh, Vice-Captain Buzzam." She stammered, "Of course. What do you want to be done about this?"  
  


            "Take that," the Tarakian pointed at the contents of the pod, "To the infirmary and have Duero give it an autopsy. As for this," he/she snagged the canister from Celina's tight grip with relative ease, "Send it to the lab for analysis."

            "Yes, ma'am." She snapped a salute. She was new to this pirate business, recruited just a few days back by Rebecca, and transferred to Nirvana for no apparent reason… as far as Rebecca was concerned, anyway. 

            "You don't have to do that. We're not in the military, you know." He/she replied with an uncertain look on his/her face as several of Gascogne's workers stormed in with a mini forklift and took it away.

***

            Bounty Hunter Lorenzo Fernandez examined the files stored on the Photon Disc he had loaded into his computer. Apparently, it wasn't the scientist that the government was worried about, but what the canister contained. It was a prototype Biological Weapon, codenamed IT-007, IT for short, the latest, and by far, most successful prototype of its kind.

            His wife, Corazon, and his kids were on vacation to the Planet Nortil, a vacation spot that was not on the harvest list, so he had the house all to himself. Born to kill, IT was a hunt worthy of a hundred million credits. Tested on all other harvest-related combat units such as Beatleots, slimes, even assault probes, it devoured them all suffering no damage whatsoever.

            It was originally designed to attack organic life forms, but since they had no people left to spare, they just used harvest fleet machines. It was, however, definitely capable of devouring a human. As far as the government was concerned, anyway. Why Doctor Adam Adams stole it and escaped via pod, was a mystery. The government didn't worry much about him, though. He would be dead by now.

Its molecular composition allowed nothing to contain it except a few metal cases that were resistant to Corrosiumide. It was therefore, extremely hard to catch… if ever it were possible. 

He tapped away on the holographic keys on the glassy surface of his main link. Information was the most vital weapon in any battle. In knowing thy enemy, never forget above all, to know thyself. Apparently, this was the most updated information concerning the nature of IT. About himself, well, he thought, no, knew, that he was prepared. He had already had his arsenal assembled several hours ago. 

His plain of vision that was so concentrated into knowing more about IT was disturbed as an image of one of the two GSA agents appeared on screen. Which one it was, he didn't know… and didn't care for the matter. "What can I do for you?"  
  


"Good evening, mister Fernandez. I'm Special Agent Benson, we met this afternoon." Came the professional reply.

"Which one? The cheap with the suitcase, or the other cheap with the picture of my targets?" this was of course, a joke.

"With the suitcase, mister Fernandez."

"Okay. So what do you want?" he asked.

"We just wanted to have you updated on two things: one: our intelligence has pinpointed the location of IT."

"My, my. Your intelligence is as good as you claim it to be. Where is it?" he wanted to finish this mission as soon as possible because of two things: one, he was tired; and two: he was in a hurry to retire.

"Of all the places for it to be, would you believe it docked in one of the most wanted anti-harvest ships in history?" the agent was obviously giving Lorenzo a hint on the identity of IT's newest vector.

"Nirvana…" he nearly whispered. The name alone was legend. The vessel that was bestowed the great honor of housing the second Pexis. The Pexis that gave its crewmembers the extra edge they needed to beat what Earth had sent so far, namely five Mother Ships and a Planet Buster... alongside the help of a mixed-up fleet coming from three galactic superpowers and a group of harvest survivors, of course.

"That's right. The second thing we want you updated about is concerning IT's procreation status." That statement raised one of the Spanish Bounty Hunter's eyebrows.

"Procreation status?" 

"That's correct. IT is growing, mister Fernandez, and we're giving you a time limit for this mission."

"Time limit? Wait… what the hell do you mean it's _growing_!?" he was definitely puzzled at that, "Growing as in from-baby-to-adult growing, or… pitter-patter-of-little-feet growing?"

"The latter, I'm afraid. As for the reason of your time limit, it's due to the fact that IT will commence mitosis in 72 hours. You have three days, mister Fernandez. Good luck with it."

"WHAT!?" his outburst was not of heard, though, due to the fact that the GSA operative had long ago cut communications with him. It was hard enough going after a seemingly invincible foe, but it was far beyond impossible to even attempt capturing a million of them. He shook his head at his stupidity in accepting this mission. He now faced a horrible dilemma. Committing implied suicide wasn't worth a hundred million credits… not at all.

AN: Well, that ends this chapter. Mostly rising tension here, eh? In any case, Dogma has finished his first chapter, and I have yet to ask if I should be the one to post it or him. Well, chow!

            "When my people were writing down philosophy, your people were still swinging from trees!"

                                                            --Gus Portokalos of My Big Fat Greek Wedding


End file.
